Improvement in washing-machines



2 Sheets--SheetI E. A. TURNBULL- I improvement in Washing Machines.

N0. 124,234. PatenfedMarchB, 1872.

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No. 124,234, .PatentedMarch5fl872.

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III-II. CIIIIIII) CIIIIIIID IIIIIIIID GIIIIIII UNITED STATES ELIZA A.TURNBULL, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,234, dated March 5,1872.

I ELIZA A. TURNBULL, of the city of Springfield, in the county of-Olarkand State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Wash'ing-Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

The first part of my invention relates to an upright frame, having acircular base of wood, which is rounded and grooved in a peculiar manneron its under side. This is placed in an ordinary washing-tub on theclothes to be washed, and is used in combination with the same. Theframe is constructed of two upright pieces, with a cross-bar at the top,and is made slightly tapering from the base upward. 1t is furnished witha lever or pole handle, one end of which is attached by a cord to themiddle of the cross-bar on the top of the frame by which the machine isoperated. The object of this part of my invention is to enable invalids,aged persons, or children to opcrate the machine while in a sittingposture, the lower end of the lever being held down on he lap of theoperator by one hand, whileit is seized with the other hand between thatpoint and the top of the machine, and rocked backward and forward on theclothes in the tub, which contains a sufficient quantity of suds tofacilitate the process of washing. The second part of my inventionconsists in the addition of a smaller tub, tapering upward so as to fiteasily within the frame. This is placed on the bottom-board, and isprevented from slipping from side to side during the process of wash-'ing by pegs, one of which can be pulled out of the bottom board when itis desired to take out the smaller tub. This smaller or sub-tub isprovided with a cover and bail for convenience in handling, and has agrooved block with a handle within it, which rests on clothes placed inthe tub. The bottom part of the block is rounded, so that it will rockin the same manner on the clothes as the grooved bottom board of theframe in the large tub. Durin gthe process of washing, the block, whichis of pyramidal shape, acquires a rocking motion, pressing the sudsthrough the clothes, and expelling the dirt in like manner as that partresting on the clothes in the larger tub. The object of this part of myinvention is to separate the fine clothes, such as laces, collars, &c.,and wash them in the smaller tub at the same operation, therebylessening the labor. The machine can be weighted or light ened atpleasure by the quantity of clothes and suds placed in the smaller tub,thus adapting it to the strength of the operator.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is an elevation of my machine, a sectional view ofthe large tub only being shown. The smaller tub and the base of theframe have a section removed, so as to show the inner parts. Fig. 2,Sheet 2, is a 1 view of the under side of the grooved bottom board orbase of the frame. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a view of the under side of theblock 0, which operates on the clothes in the small tub. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the machine without the larger tub.

In Fig. 1, A is the large tub, which is shown with a vertical halfsection cut away so as to expose the frame B with its base I), and thesmall tub G standing in the frame, held by pins 0. The frame B tapersslightly from the base 1), into which the lower ends of the uprights bare mortised. The uprights b are made larger at the base so as to givestrength to the frame. The cross-bar b is provided with stops or pins zand t", (see Figs. 1 and 4,) between which the handle or pole h isworked, much like an oar in the row-lock of a boat, the pins acting asthe fulcrum-points for the lever. It will be seen by reference to Fig.at that the lever can be operated from either of the four sides of thetub, though it is operated between the pins 1. at the middle of thecross-bar b when the operator is working the machine in a sittingposture. The lever h. being loosely attached by cord 8 to cross-bar b,any inclination may be given to it that may be desired. In operating themachine the person sits in a chair with his or her side next the tub,lever h being inclined across the lap or legs of the operator in frontof the body, and is held down, (if the operator sits on the right of themachine,) at the end by the right hand, while it is grasped by the lefthand about half way between the right hand and the point where its upperend is attached to the top of the machine. It is then pushed back andforth, givin g to the frame and accessories a rocking motion on the baseI) as its fulcrum. The suds are forced through the clothes by the actionof the grooved parts d on the under side of the base, these grooves, andthe annular ring 9 which surrounds them, catching the air under thebase, and forcing it among the clothes through the suds in which theyare partially immersed, thus greatly aiding the process of cleansing andwashing the1n,besides saving the labor of rubbing any part of thegarments. The action of the block 0 with its grooves c, (which is shownin Fig. 1, Sheet 1,) is very much the same as that of the base I),though the fine clothes do not require so great an amount of agitationor pressure as is given by the operation of the base part b to thosecontained in the larger tub, that part being constructed in such manneras to wash the dirtiest clothes in the shortest possible time. Block 0is provided with the handle 0 for lifting it out and into the tub 0. Butlittle suds need be used in either the larger or smaller tub, only asuffi cient quantity being needed to partially cover the clothes. Mymachine may be used by persons in a sitting posture on either side, orthe person may stand erect and operate it. In the latter case the leveris worked between the pins i, which are placed about halfway between thecenter and outer ends of cross-bar d. Other power may be applied to it,by which a series of machines may be operated at the same time, as isthe case in a laundry where machines are worked by steam or other power,the lever or pole It being used to connect the whole together. Mymachine is also capable of being combined and operated with a churn inlike manner. The cord 8, as shown in drawing and model, is placed aroundthelever, and its ends passed down through a single hole in the centerof the bar I). It may also be attached by being passed through twoholes, one on each side of the'lever, and its ends knotted together, asin using a single hole. In the construction of the under side of thebase I) thegrooves are out quite deep, as is also the annular ring gsurrounding them, the grooved part being rounded toward its edges andflattened in the middle.

What I claim as my improvement in washingmachines is- 1. Theconstruction and arrangement of the frame 13, with its lever h, base I),grooves d, annular ring g, and pins 13 i, as shown and described, forthe purpose set forth.

2. I also claim the arrangement of the tub, the arrangement of the tub Oand block 0, base I), and pins 0, in combination with the frame B,constructed as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

ELIZA A. TURNBULL.

Attest:

MARY J. TURNBULL, B. 0. CONVERSE.

